Liquid interrupter for electric currents.



No. 686,295. Patented Nov. I2, 190|. J. 0. HEINZE, ln. LIOUIDINTERRUPTER FOB ELECTRIC GUBRENTS.

(Application led Apr. 24, 1901.

(No Model.)

nu: Nonms Pumas co. PNoToYLvTHQ, WASHINGTON, D,c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.IOIIN O. I'IEINZE, JR., OF REVERE, MASSACHUSETTS.

yLIQUID INTERRUPTER FOR ELECTRIC CURRENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 686,295, dated.November 12, 1901.

Application filed April 24, 1901. Serial No. 57.180.- (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN O. I-IEINZE, Jr. of Revere, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Liquid Interrupters for Electric Currents, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and usef ul improvements in liquidinterrupters adapted to interrupt currents forinduction-coils ortransformers; and its object is to vary the strength of electriccurrents.

My invention consists of certain novel features hereinafter described,and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illus trate a construction embodyingmy invention, Figure 1 is an end view of my improved liquid interrupter.Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detailin perspective hereinafter described.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the severalviews.

Within the jar A of any suitable material is contained an acidulatedsolution B of acid and water. Closing the top of said jar is a cover A,to which is secured by screws A2 the lead cylinder C, provided withsuitable openings D, which provide a freer circulation of the solution.Located within said lead cylinder and supported therein near its top isa glass tube D', having a circular flange D2, which rests in the upperportion of the lead cylinder C on the shoulder D3. Locatedcentrally-within said glass tube D is a platinum Wire F, which extendsupwardly through the opening A5 in the cover A' and through the guideA4, secured to the cover A' by the screws AG, and at its upper end ispivotally connected at G to the link I-I, which in turn is pivotallyconnected to the crank-pin J on the metallic segment K, secured on aportion of the circumference of the drum L of insulating material.' Thisdrum in turn is secured fast to the shaft M, mounted in the support N,secured to the cover A by the screws A3, and secured fast to said shaftM at the opposite end is a driving-pulley O, adapted to receive powerfrom the driving-belt P. Freely mounted on the shaft M is an arm Q,having a handle Q and adapted to carry the brushholder R, in which issecured the brush S,

suitably insulated from the arm Q. The diagram at the left of Fig. 2shows the windings of an ordinary induction-coil T and the currentproduced by the dynamo T', to which are connected the wires T2 T3, and,as shown in the drawings, the interrupter is connected in series withthe primary circuit of the coil.

The lead cylinder forms o ne part of an electric circuit and theplatinum wire forms the other part. The electric current passes to thelead cylinder through theliquid, to the platinum wire, and to theprimary of the coil, returning to the main line. As the wire movesthrough the glass tube into the liquid `and out again it makes andbreaks the electric circuit. The size of the platinum wire and thelength of its insertion into the liquid and the resistance of thesolution and the surface of the lead cylinder determine the amount ofcurrent which may pass through the interrupter. The platinum wire isconnected to the crank disk and crank pin, which in its revolution uponthe shaft moves the platinum wire vertically up and down, and by thegreat numberof oscillations of this platinum wire the current becomessteady or uniform-that is, practically continuous in its effect.Attached to the shaft is a drum of insulating material having upon itscircumference a metallic segment,and mounted free on the same shaft uponwhich this drum and segment rotate is an arm which may be moved by handupon the same axis and carries a brush which is insulated from this arm.One end of the electric circuit is connected to this brush. The actionof this brush is that as the segment rotates it comes in contact withthe brush and so completes the electric circuit through the platinumwire. As the brush is moved around the circumference by hand it comes incontact with the segment when the platinum wire projects variablelengths out of the glass tube, and by this action the current is changedin intensitythat is, when the platinum wire is farthest in the solutionthe current is the strongest and as it recedes it becomes weaker, sothat by the movement of this handle and brush the amount of current thussentthrough the primary is varied. The action of this interrupter isthat the induced currents by the movement of the brush become strongeror Ioov weaker, and so in the manipulation of the X- ray tubes in whichthis interrupter can play a part the current can be made stronger orweaker, according to the amount ot light desired from the tube.

With the machine in its normal position, as shown in Figs. l and 2,withthe belt running, the current is in its weakest condition, and as thebrush-holder is moved to the left the current becomes stronger becausethe brush makes contact with the segment in the position when theplatinum wire is inserted into the liquid to a greater or less degreebeyond the tube. A number of these platinum wires, with the cooperatingelements, can be arranged in the same jar, so that a greater number ofinterruptions can be produced without any morespeed than thatofasingleone. With two platinum wires connected to the same shaft and so arrangedthat one is out of the solution and the other is in, with the samenumber of revolutions of the shaft, the double arrangement would givetwice as many interruptions as a single one.

The platinum wire moves up and down through a hole in an insulatingmaterial, preferably in the form of a glass tube, as shown, immersed incond ucting solution. The brushholder carrying the brush which bears onthe drum has a-segment covering part of its circumference. As the handleof the brushholder is moved from right to left the brush makes contactWith the segment which carries the platinum wire in positions to whichthe platinum wire may be in the solution or drawn into the glass tubeand so switches the current onto the mechanism at different lengths ofinsertion of the platinum wire beyond the glass tube. After the brushmakes contact with the segment when the wire is at its deepest point thestrongest current is obtained; but afterit contacts with the segmentasthe platinum wire is at different points above this lowest point then acorresponding]y-decreased intensity of current is obtained.

In the mechanism as shown, with the segment covering one part of thecircumference, the brush as it leaves the segment never interrupts thecurrent, as this is accomplished by the platinum as it pulls up into theglass tube, so that the action of the interruptor is that the brush asit comes in contact with the segment completes the circuit through thesolution and the platinum wire, and as the platinum wire pulls up intothe glass tube it breaks the circuit or interrupts it. The brush is asecondary device torswitching on the current; but it never interruptsthe circuit. This is accomplished by the platinum wire as it pulls upinto the glass tube, so that the wire makes and breaks the circuit, andthe brush simply makes the circuit, but does not break it.

The pipe E establishes communication ben tween the upper part of theglass tube D and the jar A to prevent the solution rising to the top inthe glass tube and flowing over and making contact, and thus causingshort-circuiting and making the device inoperative. The opening Cprovides communication between the interior of the lead cylinder C andthe glass jar A to maintain a common level of the solution.

In practice the lower end ot' the glass tube D' is what is known as acapillary, into which iits the platinum, so that while the liquid risesinto it it moves by capillary attraction, and the platinum wireinsulates itself from the outer liquid by the gas which is formedthrough electrolysis at the lower end of the capillary-tube upon theupper movement of the lower end of the wire up into the capillarytube,and in this way interrupts the circuit, as it forms practicallyaseal tothe lower end of the capillary-tube. It is possible that under certainconditions the platinum wire may move very slowly up and down, in whichcase the column of water may follow the platinum Wire up through thesmall hole in the glass tube and not interrupt the current, in whichoase for the interrupt-ion ot' the current we would depend on the brushon the commutator. In this particular case the current would have to bevery weak and the resistance of the liquid solution would have to bevery great between the wire and the solution.

I do not limit myself to the arrangement and construction shown, as thesame may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described the nature of my invention and set forth aconstruction embodying the same, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. In an apparatus ot the character described, a jar containing aconducting solution, a source of electrical energy, means in saidsolution for closing the electric circuit through said solution,insulating means in said solution and around said closing means, andmeans for changing the relative positions of said insulating means andsaid closing means and to break the circuit.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, a jar containing aconducting solution, a source ot electrical energy, movable means insaid solution for closing the electric circuit through said solution,insulating means in said solution and around said closing means, andmeans for changing the relative positions of said insulating means andsaid closing means and to break the circuit.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a jar containing aconducting solution, a source of electrical energy, a movable metallicwire in said solution for closing the lelectric circuit through saidsolution, insulating means in said solution and around said movablemetallic wire, and means for changing the relative positions of saidinsulating means and said movable metallic wire and to break thecircuit.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, a jar containing aconducting soin-- IOO IIO

IIS

tion,asource of electrical energy, a movable metallic Wire in saidsolution for closing the electric circuit through said solution, aninsulating-tube in said solution and around said movable metallic Wire,and means for changing the relative positions of the insulatingtube andthe movable metallic wire and to break the circuit.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a jar containing aconducting solution, a source of electrical energy, a movable metallicWire for closing the electric circuit through said solution, aninsulating-tube in said solution and around said metallic Wire, a drumof insulating material, a metallic segment secured to said drum, a linkconnecting` said metallic Wire, a crank-pin on said segment, a movablehandle carrying a brush and adapted to be adjusted to contact With saidmetallic segment as the metallic Wire moves down into the solution sothat the circuit Will be closed when the metallic Wire is in thesolution, and driving means for operating said drum to change therelative positions of the insulating-tube and the metallic Wire and tobreak the circuit.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, a jar containing aconducting solution, a source of electrical energy, a movable metallicWire for closing the electric circuit through said solution, aninsulating-tube in said solution and around said metallic Wire, a leadcylinder surrounding and supporting said insulating-tube, a drum ofinsulating material, a metallic segment secured to said drum, a linkconnecting said metallic Wire, a crank-pin on said segment, a movablehandle carrying a brush and adapted to be adjusted to contact With saidmetallic segment as the metallic Wire moves down into the solution sothat the circuit Will be closed when the metallic Wire is in thesolution, and driving means for operating said drum to change therelative positions of the insulating-tube and the metallic Wire and tobreak the circuit.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, a jar containing aconducting solution, a source of electrical energy, an insulating-tubein said solution, a metallic Wire located Within said tube and movabletherein, and means for changing the relative positions of theinsulating-tube and the metallic Wire and to break the circuit.

S. In an apparatus of the character described, a jar containing aconducting solution, a source of electrical energy, means for closingthe electric circuit through said solu tion, insulating means located insaid solution for varying the area of contact of said closing means withsaid solution, and means for changing the relative positions of theinsulating-tube and the closing means and to break the circuit.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, a jar containing aconducting solun tion, a source of electrical energy, an eleca trode forclosing the electric circuit through said solution, insulating means forvarying the area of contact of said electrode with said solution, andmeans for changing the relative positions of the insulating means andelectrode and to break the circuit.

lO. In an apparatus of the character du scribed, a jar containing aconducting solution, a source of electrical energy, an electrode forclosing the electric circuit through said solution, an insulating-tubein Which said electrode is located for varying the area of contact ofsaid electrode with said solution, and means for changing the relativepositions of the insulating-tube and electrode.

ll. In an apparatus of the character dee scribed, a jar containing aconducting solution, a source of electrical energy, an electrode forclosing the electric circuit through said solution, a stationaryinsulating-tube in which said electrode is located for varying the areaof contact of said electrode with said so lution, and means for changingthe relative positions of the insulating-tube and electrode.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 20th day of April, A. I).lilOL JOHN O. HEINZE, JR.

Witnesses:

C. A. STEWART, A. L. Mnssss.

